Ice Chips: Devils F Johnsson clears waivers, sent to AHL Utica

Keep updated on all the injury news and roster updates from around the NHL with daily Ice Chips.

New Jersey Devils

Forward Andreas Johnsson has cleared waivers and has been assigned to the AHL's Utica Comets on Thursday.

Johnsson, 28, was acquired by the Devils from the Toronto Maple Leafs in October of 2020 in exchange for forward Joey Anderson.

The 5-foot-10 winger has only appeared in two games for the Devils this season and did not record a point.

Drafted 202nd overall in the 2013 NHL Draft, Johnsson has 48 goals and 113 points in 248 career games split between the Maple Leafs and Devils.

The Devils used these lines during Thursday's practice, according to team reporter Amanda Stein:

Tatar - Hischier - Zetterlund

Haula - Hughes - Bratt

Sharangovich - Boqvist - Mercer

Wood -McLeod - Thompson/Holtz

Siegenthaler - Hamilton

Bahl - Severson

Okhatiuk - Smith

Palat -Wotherspoon

Blackwood

Vanecek

Florida Panthers

Defencemen Aaron Ekblad, Radko Gudas, and forward Aleksander Barkov have been cleared to play on Thursday against the Florida Panthers, according to head coach Paul Maurice.

Ekblad, 26, left Friday's 5-1 loss to the New York Islanders with an upper-body injury after playing just over four minutes.

The 6-foot-4 defenceman missed 11 games earlier this season due to a lower-body injury.

Ekblad has four goals and 14 points in 24 games this season.

Barkov, 27, has missed the Panthers' last three games with a lower-body injury.

The Panthers' captain also missed eight games earlier this season due to a non-COVID related illness.

Barkov has six goals and 22 points in 25 games this season.

Gudas, 32, missed the Panthers' last 10 games with a concussion.

The 6-foot defenceman has two goals, six points, and 39 penalty minutes in 25 games this season.

Additionally, Maurice says goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky will start against the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday while winger Anton Levtchi will make his NHL debut.

Bobrovsky, 24, is 7-11-1 this season with a .895 save percentage and 3.29 goals-against average.

Levtchi, 22, signed with the Panthers as an undrafted free agent on in the offseason.

The 6-foot forward is playing his first season in North America and has seven goals and 13 points in 24 games with the AHL's Charlotte Checkers

Carolina Hurricanes

Forward Max Pacioretty will not make his season debut for the Hurricanes on Friday, but is expected to return within the next 10 games, according to head coach Rod Brind'Amour

Pacioretty, 34, suffered a torn Achilles in the offseason and was expected to miss six months.

The 6-foot-2 winger was traded to the Hurricanes in the offseason by the Vegas Golden Knights for future considerations and has yet to play a game in Carolina.

Drafted 22nd overall in the 2007 NHL Draft by the Montreal Canadiens, Pacioretty has 323 goals and 642 points in 850 career games split between the Canadiens and Golden Knights.

Winnipeg Jets

Defenceman Nate Schmidt skated for the first time since suffering an upper-body injury on Dec. 15, according to TSN's John Lu.

Schmidt, 31, was injured during the Jets' 2-1 overtime win over the Nashville Predators on Dec. 15 where he left after only five and a half minutes of ice time and has missed the team's last six games.

The 6-foot defenceman has three goals and six points in 29 games this season.

Head coach Rick Bowness told reporters that Schmidt is the closest of the Jets injured players to returning followed by forward Cole Perfetti.

Perfetti, 20, sustained an upper-body injury during the team's 3-2 loss to the Boston Bruins on Dec. 22 and was expected to be out at least a week.

The rookie forward has six goals and 20 points in 33 games this season.

Winger Nikolaj Ehlers has been continuing to skate as part of his recovery from surgery to repair a sports hernia that has seen him miss 33 games this season while veteran forward Blake Wheeler is two-seven days away from resuming skating after undergoing groin surgery, according to Lu.

The Jets have recalled forward Kristian Reichel from the AHL's Manitoba Moose on Thursday.

Reichel, 24, was signed as undrafted free agent by the Jets in June of 2020.

The 6-foot forward has two goals and eight points in 25 games with the Moose this season.

Calgary Flames

Defenceman Dennis Gilbert and forward Radim Zohorna has been assigned to the AHL's Calgary Wranglers on Thursday.

Gilbert, 26, signed a two-year, $1.525 million deal with the Flames in the offseason.

The 6-foot-2 defenceman has has a goal in 15 games with the Wranglers this season.

Zohorna, 26, was claimed off waivers by the Flames from the Pittsburgh Penguins on Oct. 2.

The 6-foot-6 forward has fie goals and 16 points in 20 games with the Wranglers this season.

Arizona Coyotes

The Coyotes have loaned forward Liam Kirk to Mikkelin Jukurit of the Finnish Elite League on Thursday.

Kirk, 22, was drafted 189th overall by the Coyotes in the 2018 NHL Draft.

The Rotherham, Great Britain native has five goals and 11 points with the ECHL's Atlanta Gladiators and has only appeared in one game with the AHL's Tuscon Roadrunners this season.

Washington Capitals

The Capitals used these lines during Thursday's morning skate prior to their game against the Ottawa Senators, according to Tarik El-Bashir of The Athletic:

Ovechkin - Strome - Sheary

Milano - Kuznetsov - Mantha

Johansson - Eller - Aube-Kubel

Protas - Dowd - Hathaway

Gustafsson - van Riemsdyk

Orlov - Jensen

Alexeyev - Irwin

Kuemper

Lindgren

Buffalo Sabres

Defencemen Owen Power and Jacob Bryson will return to the lineup when the Sabres take on the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday, according to head coach Don Granato.

Power, 20, missed the Sabres last three games with a lower-body injury.

The first-overall selection in the 2021 NHL Draft has 10 assists in 29 games this season.

Bryson, 25, also missed the Sabres last three games with a lower-body injury.

The 5-foot-9 defenceman has a goal and eight points in 25 games this season.

The Sabres are using these lines during Thursday's morning skate prior to their game against the Red Wings, according to Heather Engel of NHL.com.

Skinner - Thompson - Tuch

Peterka - Cozens - Quinn

Mittelstadt - Jost - Olofsson

Girgensons - Krebs - Okposo

Asplund, Hinostroza rotated in

Samuelsson - Dahlin

Power - Clague

Pilut - Lyubushkin

Bryson - Fitzgerald

Luukkonen

Columbus Blue Jackets

The Blue Jackets are projected to use these lines for Thursday's game against the New York Islanders:

Gaudreau - Roslovic - Bemstrom

Nyquist - Johnson - Marchenko

Robinson - Kuraly - Olivier

Foudy - Sillinger - Meyer

Gavrikov - Bjork

Berni - Gudbranson

Peeke - Boqvist

Korpisalo

Tarasov

Nashville Predators

The Predators have recalled defenceman Roland McKeown from the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals on Thursday.

McKeown, 26, signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Predators during the offseason.

The 6-foot-1 defenceman has two goals and eight point in 25 games with the Admirals this season.